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Education In Action Application 2019 We invite you to consider applying for a unique opportunity to work with, and learn from communities and farmers of the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA) in Guatemala. The CCDA is a grassroots cooperative defending the economic, social and cultural rights of the Mayan people since 1982, struggling for equitable land distribution, carrying out sustainable agricultural development and encouraging the economic empowerment of women.

Since 2007, members from many different PSAC components have participated in this valuable project, including the Yukon Employees’ Union. YEU President Steve Geick joined a 2014 contingent, and he encourages our members to give thought to participating. This experience was life-changing, he says. You can read aboutSteve’s CCDA journey here,and if you think it might be for you, please click the link below to complete the application.

Young workers may be eligible for one of four sponsorships provided by the Public Service Alliance of Canada. If you are a young worker (18–35 years) and are interested in being part of a delegation on an Education project, please complete the application below.

The fact finding meeting is over; you may never hear about the issue again, or the employer notifies you that they have come to a conclusion and you’re called for a follow up meeting.

During the meeting your supervisor reads out loud and presents a letter of expectation (LOE); welcome to the performance management stream and the right of the employer to reaffirm the roles, responsibilities and accountability of your position within public service in Yukon.

Firstly, a letter of expectation is not discipline. While it may feel like discipline (and trust me I know this feeling, having been through this process), it is not intended to be, nor is it a disciplinary action.

A properly formatted letter of expectation should clearly outline the issues the employer has identified that need to be rectified, the changes they would like to see, the timeline for this change and the support and resources for assisting with process.

What happens after I receive this letter?

This is a shared responsibility; you as a public servant have been advised of your employment expectations and you should seek to meet the mark. It will feel like there is extra scrutiny on you and this is natural and actually accurate, but not in the “I’m gonna get you” way.

After an LOE is delivered the employer is watching you, not to note your failure but to ensure your success. It is incumbent on the employer to assist you in meeting the requirements of your position and the expectations that have been outlined.

YTG (the employer) needs to provide access to support and resources to ensure you are successful. Bear in mind you are a big part of this success and it is incumbent on you to meet the requirements of your job contract with YTG. As the cliché goes it takes two to tango and for the most part you are the lead in the dance.

How long does the LOE stay in my file?

As letters of expectation are not discipline they are not part of your file. When it comes to your “file” you only have one and this is held at the Public Service Commission (you can make an appointment to see your file with PSC if you would like to review your public service employment file).

Your LOE will be held by your supervisor and will not be in your “file” but will be kept for reference for the timeline provided in the letter. An LOE will be deemed complete at your next PPP (Personal Performance Plan) provided the issues have been resolved and have not continued. Now, if the behavior in the letter continues, this can open up the disciplinary stream (which I will cover in another post). But we all know that this won’t be an issue……..right?

A few other details….

Letters of expectation do not always come from fact finding meetings. Employment behaviors can be noted and dealt with outside of fact finding meetings and delivered at the discretion of the employer.

Union representation is not required at the presentation of an LOE as they are not disciplinary, however, it is recommended by YTG that if it will be of benefit to the employee YEU representation can be in attendance.

As always, if there are questions or concerns call the YEU office at 667 2331 or call me directly at 334 4331, remembering there is a timeline for issues of approximately 20 days, so call early and get the answers.

It’s another day at work, everything seems to be going well and it’s shaping up to be a good day. Then it happens; you receive a request to attend a meeting the following day and your supervisor advises that you are entitled to bring aunion representative to the meeting!

What has happened? Why won’t they tell me what the meeting is about? What are the specifics? Aside from being frustrated that you can’t have these questions answered, being called to a meeting relatively blind is also incredibly stressful.

You have been called to a fact finding meeting.

Fact finding meetings are a very common and normal occurrence in Yukon Government workplaces. When a supervisor or manager receives a complaint or incident report involving a staff member, they are required to investigate – this means they need to talk to you and get your version of the incident or event. If you have been asked to such a meeting, you must attend.

The fact finding meeting is based on the premise that there has been a problematic event or incident of some kind. The employer needs to ask questions to determine what happened. You might not be directly involved; you may have witnessed the incident or have information that may help to make the situation clear.

These sessions are not meant to be punitive, but should offer space for an open and honest dialogue on the event being discussed. These conversations can feel incredibly stressful for the employee and may feel like a cross examination, but that is not the intent. Your union representative will be there with you to protect your rights.

Why do I need a union representative? It is incumbent on the employer to advise an employee of the need for representation if there’s any chance of discipline down the road. Discipline is not always involved, but the employer cannot deny a member representation then dole out discipline after the fact; this goes against the principles of the Collective Agreement as well as the principles of natural justice.

Why won’t they answer my questions about the event or incident before the meeting? Well, this is twofold; while they may state “we are going to be discussing event ABC” they cannot discuss the actual event outside the meeting. Firstly the employer would like to see unchecked, honest reactions to the questions posed. Secondly if the employer engages in this conversation it may be construed as part of the fact finding session when the employee has not yet had an opportunity to secure union representation.

These meetings are usually less than an hour long, depending on the events and issues at hand. During these sessions the employee, the employer or the union representative can ask for a break to have discussions or sidebar chats. These meeting should be, and for the most part are, very respectful and smooth.

What can I say? What can’t I say during these sessions? The intent of these fact findings is to bring the facts to light. The employee is responsible to be open, honest and accountable. Your union representative is there to protect your rights and ensure proper process is followed, but they are not defense attorneys and will not be using legal gamesmanship to avoid the issues at hand.

This is a meeting about FACTS, not about what you may think of a situation. Avoid deflecting accountability by drawing others’ poor behavior into the conversation. The employer may ask what others thought or said, but you should avoid commenting on how you believe others may think or feel about the incident or parties involved.

Do I get to have my say in the meeting? Of course – this is not a one sided barrage or cross examination. During the meeting you will be asked several times if there is anything else you would like to add. This is the time where pertinent items to the event can be offered if they have not been addressed in the questioning. This however is not the time to deflect accountability, point out others’ poor behavior or inject supposition or rumor into the meeting. Your additions should be factual, pertinent and meaningful.

It is also likely that the employer will have investigated the issue by chatting with other employees named in the event. These sessions are confidential and private, and employees are advised not to speak about these meetings outside of the HR/union/supervisory pathways.

How do I get Union representation?Call 867-667-2331as soon as you’ve been notified of the meeting, and ask for the intake officer. They will ask you for the meeting time & location and ask whether have any idea what the meeting may involve.

Once this information is collected, YEU will make a call to the Shop Steward group to see who is available to attend your meeting. Once the Shop Steward has confirmed their availability, the Steward will contact you to discuss the process and answer your questions prior to the meeting. Some Stewards will contact you well ahead of time while others, depending on time of notification, may make arrangements to speak with you just prior to the meeting.

What can I expect once the meeting is over? Timelines are usually established at the end of the meeting. Your supervisor or the HR Representative will notify you of the timeline and might advise you that another meeting will be requested if more questions arise during their follow up. Generally, the post-meeting fact finding time is one to two weeks.

What will happen to me? This depends on the incident and your role in what transpired. One possible pathway is the performance management stream, another is discipline. I will cover these topics in an upcoming performance management and discipline article on the blog; keep an eye out and have a read.

Remember, fact finding meetings are a normal part of any workplace and your YEU representatives are there to support you through these meetings.

It is a great honour for me to be able to write to you as the new President of Local Y010. I am humbled to have been nominated and trusted to continue the great work of our past President and Executive.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sister Tammi Sikorski for all her hard work, sacrifice and dedication to the local. This was greatly appreciated and I clearly have a high standard to meet in keeping up with Tammi’s leadership over these past few years. Thank you Tammi, we owe you more than we can ever possibly convey.

I would also like to thank Brother Richard Wagner for his work and representation for the Local and YEU as a whole as our Chief Shop Steward. His knowledge, mentorship and representation were greatly appreciated.

We also say goodbye to Sisters Kat Traplin and Yoshiko Atkins, their voice, experience and dedication to the Local were greatly appreciated and will be missed. Thank you for your service. We wish you all the best in the future.

We have two Director vacancies. If you are interested in being an active voice in your Local please contact me to discuss the roles and responsibilities of a Local Director.

Over the next year local Y010 has an ambitious agenda including:Signing off all RAND members:
A RAND is a worker in the union environment who has not filled out a union card; presently Y010 has some RANDs. As a RAND your union dues are being deducted, however you do not have all the benefits of full membership. We will be working in the community and workplaces to ensue our members are converted from RAND to fully signed members to protect your rights.
Not sure of your membership status? Call YEU at 667 2331. They’ll send you a card if you haven’t signed yet.

Shop Steward training and recruitment:
Local Y010 has approximately 2500 members and is growing. At present we have 10 active Shop Stewards looking after your representation needs. These dedicated Brothers and Sisters are working to ensure your rights in the workplace. If you are interested in becoming a Shop Steward or have questions about the roles and responsibilities please contact the YEU office at 667-2331 or contact me and I will be happy to chat. Moving into 2016 there will be new resources and training initiatives for current and new Stewards.

Social awareness:
We’re working hard to ensure social awareness and initiatives in each community. We’re always looking for members’ ideas, input and comments on how to move our local forward. Our Local meets at 5:30pm the 2nd Tuesday of each month in the YEU Hall. Please attend a Local meeting; we need you!

Lastly, this is a bargaining year and our collective agreement is on the table. Your Bargaining Team will be working hard to ensure your rights & make sure you are informed. Ratification meetings will be announced and held after bargaining; be informed and be engaged. Sign up for regular bargaining update emails at http://www.yeu.ca.

Saturday November 21 2015 marked a milestone for this northern union; 50 years ago to the day, a group of determined Yukon Government workers met for the first time to form the Yukon Territorial Public Service Association. They worked hard over the first few years to achieve full component status within the Public Service Alliance of Canada, fought off two Teamster raids and have grown to an inclusive, territory wide organization representing workers from more than 20 employers. We were proud to honour the achievements of those who paved the way, and we look forward to the next 50 years!